Osana Hosoi
Osana Hosoi is the daughter of Asano Hosoi. She is Zuko's best friend and later his wife after Mai breaks up with him. Osana's loyalty to Zuko is well known among the Fire Nation. Early Life Osana learned from an early age that she was a Fire Bender. She also learned that she is impervious to burns or heat-related injuries, and therefore cannot be burned or exhausted from heat no matter what. Being a small child, Osana always just assumed that this was a normal part of being a Fire Bender and never drew attention to it. Being born to Prince (later Firelord) Ozai's best general and right-hand man, Asano Hosoi, both Osana and her younger sister, Billie, were held to very high expectations. Osana unapologetically refused to live up to any demands. Growing up, Osana was a great archer. No one knew where her skills came from, but her father put emphasis on those studies. When Osana was 12, the Yu Yan Archers began eyeing her for their elite team. Osana proposed that if they could defeat her in an archery competition, she would consider joining their ranks. However, they lost and Osana felt she had nothing to gain from joining them. Despite her fantastic archery skills and her father having no expense spared when it came to her education, Osana was held back twice when she attended the Fire Bender's academy. Now two years behind, at the age of 15, Osana is given an ultimatum. Catch up or face academic expulsion. Osana's Fire Bending is not her strong suit and her instructors assume that she lacks focus and discipline. One day, while on her way to class, Osana met 13-year-old Prince Zuko quite literally by accident. She bumped into him, not looking where she was going. Once she realised who he was, she apologised profusely. Zuko was quick to forgive her and quickly became infatuated her quirky, sweet demeanour. The two became fast friends and Zuko appreciated the fact that outside of their initial introduction, Osana treated him like a normal kid instead of the prince of the Fire Nation. The two quickly became close and Osana even began teaching Zuko some archery, a skill Osana honed quite well unlike her Fire Bending. Osana and Zuko's friendship deepened during archery practices, much to the disdain of his father, Firelord Ozai. Concerned for the sanctity of the royal bloodline, Ozai was not in favour of the idea of some twice-flunked ignoramus who didn't take Fire Bending seriously as his son's wife and the mother of his grandchildren. He employed Azula, Zuko's sister, to put a rift in their relationship however she saw fit. Azula took great joy in this task. One day, Osana came over to give Zuko more archery lessons and while she was waiting for Zuko, Azula told her she had crumbs on her face. An embarrassed Osana remarks "not again" implying this is a common problem for her. Azula tells Osana to rinse her face by the turtle-duck pond. Osana does so and Azula presses her face into the water with her foot and holds it there in an attempt to drown her. Zuko walks in, sees the struggle and pushes Azula into the pond before yanking Osana out. Zuko angrily confronts Azula, who feigns ignorance, despite Zuko seeing her try to drown Osana, and leaves. Despite the incident, Zuko and Osana remain close and Zuko apologises on Azula's behalf. Osana tells Zuko that she only feels bad for him that he has to live with someone as horrible as Azula. The Summer Solstice Lantern Festival (meant to celebrate Sozin's Comet and the Fire Nation's great victory) approaches and Zuko quickly asks Osana to be his date. Osana happily agrees and merrily tells her parents, who gussy her up when they realise who her date is. Asano, though, seems very preoccupied and is only trying to feign happiness for his daughter. Billie teases Osana and jokes that Zuko is Osana's "prince charming" although Osana vehemently denies having feelings for Zuko, insisting that they're just friends. At the festival, Osana and Zuko mostly goof off playing stupid games and doing stupid festival activities. When it comes time to light the lanterns, Zuko and Osana sneak off from the royal palanquin guards and light their lanterns among the civilians. Among the lantern-lit skies, Osana realises that she's falling in love with Zuko. Osana tells Zuko, who admits he feels the same for her. The two kiss under the sea of lanterns. The two blush and feel that they are walking on air. After the festival, Osana returns home and goes to bed, feeling as though she is sleeping on clouds. As she prepares for bed, she recants the events to her sister feeling as if she were a fairy tale princess. She tells Billie that she hopes Zuko will marry her and make her his princess. Her feelings of light-airy bounciness are immediately shattered the following morning. Osana goes to breakfast feeling light and airy and her father tells her she must stop dreaming. Osana at first tries to dismiss her father, who responds by telling her that she's been promised to another man as his wife when she turns 18. The marriage proposal was signed the day before Osana agreed to be Zuko's date for the festival. At first, Osana tries to persuade her father not to honour the contract, however, Asano's mind is made up. He goes on to further shatter her dreams, pointing out that Zuko is the crowned prince of the Fire Nation, which means when Ozai dies, Zuko will be the Fire Lord and if Osana marries him, she will be his Queen. Asano then points out that Osana isn't even responsible enough to learn among kids her own age in the academy. How was she expected to handle the responsibilities of a Queen? Did she really believe Ozai would just let some flunkee marry into his dynasty? Osana continues to argue with her father, who remains firm in his position. Frustrated that she is unable to convince her father to budge, Osana storms off before she can meet her husband-to-be, who Asano had invited over for tea. Osana cries on the bridge in the park where Zuko finds her. He then tries to comfort Osana, who tells her that they can't hang out anymore. She then explains that her father has promised her hand to another man. Zuko tells Osana that he will do what he can to circumvent the marriage, however, Osana is wary that anything can be done at all. Zuko and Osana take a walk in the park and watch the sunset. Once the sun goes over, Osana says she needs to go home, but Zuko adamantly insists on walking her home. When they make it to Osana's front yard, a group of palanquin guards tell him that he needs to be escorted back to the palace. Zuko quickly kisses Osana before boarding the palanquin and being taken back home. Osana has now all but forgotten the arranged marriage and the argument earlier that day and walks into the house. When she gets inside, she is met with her future husband, Zhao. Zhao introduces himself and reveals that he offered to firmly guide Osana onto a path of prosperity. Asano approved the marriage due to Zhao's promising political career. Osana rebuffs Zhao under the guise of going to bed early to prepare for school the next day. The next few days go by tensely. Zuko approaches his uncle Iroh to see if he can do anything to circumvent the arranged marriage. Iroh tells Zuko he will see what he can do, but can make no promises. Osana remains wary that anything can be done at all. Zuko, however, remains optimistic. One fateful day, Zuko accompanies his uncle to a war meeting. Towards the end, Osana waits outside as she intends to have a frank discussion with her father about the marriage arrangement. Zuko angrily storms out, leaving Osana confused. When Osana asks what happened, Zuko explains, leaving Osana disgusted that her own father could come up with such a heinous plan as to sacrifice troops as bait. She angrily confronts her father, with Firelord Ozai in earshot, and tells him that the man he answers to is "a coward with a fake family who hides behind a fleet of Yes Men and sits on a throne of lies" before storming off with Zuko. Osana and Zuko take a stop on the outskirts of town and think about everything that's happened. Osana is worried about the consequences that may follow from her accosting her father. Zuko tells her not to worry and tries to comfort her. This leads to an almost kiss before guards interrupt them and tell them that Zuko has been challenged to an Agni Kai. Zuko assumes the challenger is Asano, since it was his plan who he openly disagreed with. Zuko accepts and tells Osana that he will defeat Asano and demand he call off the marriage arrangement for Osana. The guards tell Osana that she is being made to watch the match in the very front row to "set an example" which confuses her, but she goes along with it. At the match, Zuko finds that the person he must duel is not Asano, but Firelord Ozai himself. Zuko refuses to duel his father and pleads for mercy. Osana tearfully watches as Ozai burns and disfigures his own son. This is when she learns that being impervious to fire and burns is not a normal fire bending trait and that it's strictly unique to her. It is also when she learns that she must keep this invulnerability to herself. She cries loudly and storms out. An inconsolable Osana is later found crying in her bedroom by her younger sister Billie, who tells her that Zuko has been banished and that Asano and his wife have gone before Firelord Ozai to beg him for forgiveness for Osana's transgressions. Billie also tells Osana that Zuko can only return home when he has captured the Avatar. Because he has been gone for nearly 100 years at this point, Osana knows that Ozai is only trying to be rid of him. Enraged with everything that has gone wrong in her life thus far, Osana packs her belongings and makes a bid to run away from home and accompany Zuko on his mission to find the Avatar. She is certain that they won't find him, but only wants to be a source of comfort on his long journey. Osana catches Zuko and tells him that she wishes to help him find the Avatar and tells him that she will always be by his side. Zuko feels great comfort knowing that Osana remained loyal to him even when everyone else has ostracised him and allows her to assist him on his journey, unaware that she is a runaway or that she has no idea whether or not Asano was successful in begging for forgiveness or that her hand in marriage is still very much promised to another man.